This invention relates to bread slicing machines, particularly commercial-type bread slicing machines having a plurality of slicing blades.
Bread slicing machines have been known and available for many years as set forth, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,095,620 and 2,147,322, both incorporated herein by reference. Such machines have two sets of blades, each being a plurality of slicing blades vertically arranged parallel to each other mounted on a blade frame. The two sets reciprocate up and down in opposite directions to each other. The ends of the blades are secured to the blade frames. The blade frames are attached to a reciprocating drive mechanism such as a rocker drive to create the cutting action on a loaf of bread fed through the machine.
Maintaining sanitation in these machines is essential. The bread crumbs penetrate crevices, cracks and recesses in the apparatus, including those in the blade frames and around the ends of the blades. Cleaning out these blades and blade frames is not readily accomplished with the conventional bread slicing machines. The apparatus has to be carefully unbolted and taken apart in a time-consuming operation. The blade frame and blades should be disassembled from the remaining apparatus in order to most effectively and thoroughly clean the blade frames and blades, and the remainder of the apparatus. This requires use of wrenches or other tools for disassembly of the bolts mounting the blade frames in the machine, cleaning the apparatus, and then reassembling the bolted apparatus with the same tools or wrenches. Because of this time-consuming procedure, there is the temptation to neglect this important task, to the detriment of the public.